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Our Kids - Meet Jonathan

Jonathan is a happy and very brave two-year-old boy with beautiful blue eyes and long light brown hair. What makes Jonathan special is the unbelievable strength, determination and patience with which he endured numerous surgeries, invasive procedures and medical complications all before the age of two. Instead of being home where he belonged, Jonathan spent the first nine months of his life at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), moving from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to Critical Care Unit (CCU) and finally to Unit 4D (the cardiac unit).

Jonathan

Jonathan, Omphalocele and Tetralogy of Fallot

This little boy was born with a giant omphalocele. An omphalocele is a result of abnormal development as a baby grows inside the mother's womb. The muscles in the abdominal wall do not close properly causing the organs to grow outside the abdomen, inside the umbilical cord. Jonathon's omphalocele contained his liver, spleen, stomach and intestines. In addition, Jonathan suffers from an associated heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).

During his time at SickKids, Jonathan has undergone three major surgeries, including two open-heart surgeries, overcome feeding issues, experienced a spontaneous bowel perforation, endured intense pain, fought infections and survived major complications.

Today, Jonathan is back at home in the arms of his loving parents, Diane and Janis and his big brother Eli who are overjoyed to be able to spend every moment cuddling with him. He is currently feeding with help of a G-tube and sees an occupational therapist twice a week.

The NICU at SickKids sees 700-800 patients each year. Approximately half of the patients in the NICU are born with multiple complexities usually requiring surgery.

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